Morgue drama as two families fight over kin’s burial

Family of the deceased address the press.
Traders and passersby near Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary were Tuesday treated to a rare drama after two families engaged in a physical fight over the burial of their kin.
The two families from Buuri sub-County in Meru County had gone to collect the body of Jamleck Kimanthi, 29 at the mortuary before the drama unfolded.

The deceased’s wife allegedly picked the burial permit and her family proceeded with the body but before they could get out of the gate the deceased’s family members demanded that they be given the burial permit.
The relatives threw kicks and blows at each other after it emerged that the wife’s aunt allegedly disappeared with the document.
Eunice Nkirote (aunt) was caught at a nearby chemist where she had hid and the document including Kimanthi and his wife’s identity cards were snatched from her.

Joseph Mwangi, a brother to the deceased said the in-laws’ family cited unpaid dowry for their daughter hence insisting Kimanthi body be buried at their farm.
“Our concern is why they are refusing to hand over the burial permit to us. Our brother had married from the family and not the other way round,” he wondered.
The body was taken back to the morgue following the intervention of police officer who arrived shortly and took some members from both sides to Nanyuki police station.
Laikipia East police boss Mutoro Kizito said that body would not be interred until both families came into an agreement.
Mwangi said they intended to bury the body at Maritati village in Buuri, but the other family wanted to bury it at Ngushishi village, raising concern why Kimanthi would be buried at his in-laws' farm.